Author Francesca Simon: ‘Everyone’s a combination of Horrid Henry and Perfect Peter’ - Books - Hampstead Highgate Express Author Francesca Simon: ‘Everyone’s a combination of Horrid Henry and Perfect Peter’ 08:00 26 April 2016 Horrid Henry books author Franscesca Simon with City Academy students Archant Francesca Simon has just finished walking her Tibetan spaniel, Louis, around Tufnell Park where she’s lived for the past 20 years. They’re both spattered with mud. The dog’s boisterous behaviour could certainly give Francesca’s notorious literary creation Horrid Henry a scamper for his money. But she disagrees. Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. Francesca Simon's fictional character, Horrid Henry “No!” she laughs. “He’s just a very sociable puppy.” Henry, the mop-headed mini-tyrant with a loathing for his soppy younger brother, Perfect Peter, has been a publishing phenomenon. Twenty-one million copies have been sold in the 22 years since Henry first began rampaging through the middle-class home he shares with the infuriating Peter and their exasperated parents.

Henry has run amok in 29 languages. In particular, they love him in Spain where he creates mischief as ‘Pablo Diablo’. Francesca explains his appeal: ‘Children as young as four instantly realise that it’s all the parents’ fault. “They have created the problem by idealising one child over the other. My books are very open about the fact that Henry absolutely hates his brother and would do anything to get rid of him.” Crucially, she believes her stories give children the confidence to express “uncomfortable emotions in a comic way.” Visit any public library and look at any of the 96 Horrid Henry books available, you’ll see that the pages are invariably covered in ketchup and chocolate stains – proof of how many times these much-loved stories are borrowed. Francesca says: “It’s fun to spend time with a rule-breaker such as Henry.” Indeed, such is the power of her stories that she says she knows of at least two families who, while listening to audio tapes of Horrid Henry stories in the car, narrated by the actress Miranda Richardson, they have caused such a distraction that the driver almost had a road accident.

It was the arrival of her son Josh (now 26 and a budding theatre director) that was the catalyst for Francesca’s writing career. Although she had written as a child, she says she was ‘flooded with ideas’ observing north London parenting. “If it hadn’t have been for Josh, I wouldn’t have known I had a flair for writing children’s books.” Born in Missouri in the US in the mid-50s, Francesca’s childhood was bohemian and peripatetic. The eldest of four siblings, by the age of 12 she had been to seven different schools in America, France and London. Her early childhood near the beach in Malibu, California, was, she says, “idyllic” but “squished”. Her father, Mayo Simon, screenwriter of the film The Man From Atlantis and the “go-to” man for sci-fi projects always seemed busy, tapping away on the typewriter. “Our house was all very compressed. I shared a tiny bedroom with my sister, Ann [now a professor and the scientific advisor on TV’s The X-Files]. “I didn’t get on with my brothers and sisters back then.

I just felt: ‘Please will you all go away!’ I wanted to be an only child.” And so Francesca retreated into the world of books and began writing what she describes as her own “fractured fairy tales” which were inspired by the fairy tales of the Scottish writer Andrew Lang. Modestly, she says: “I did the classic novice-writing thing of never finishing them.” Arriving in London in her early 20s after a spell abroad, she lodged with the biographer Claire Tomalin in Camden’s Gloucester Crescent. After studying at Yale University, Francesca took up a place at Oxford University to study medieval history and literature, alongside Tomalin’s daughter. “I thought: ‘Wow! This is London! This is my haven.” She says she often bumped into Tomalin’s neighbours, Alan Bennett and Jonathan Miller, but meetings with such cultural giants were wasted on her. She jokes: “They might as well have been the butcher and the baker.” At the time, Francesca was a student of leading Anglo-Saxon scholar Professor Eric Stanley, who himself had been a pupil of JRR Tolkein.

Indeed, she has returned to this ancient world after the success of her two mortal gods books for older children, The Sleeping Army and The Lost Gods with a new title for young adults called The Monstrous Child, due to be published in May. It is the bleakly funny saga of Hel, the Norse goddess of the dead. Francesca describes Hel as “no people-pleaser. I see her as an angry teen who is locked in her bedroom, which she’s painted black. She feels hideous. She rages: ‘I am ugly. Everyone hates me. I hate everyone’. It’s intense, chilling stuff – but myths and legends do have a lot to say. There’s a reason they have survived; they speak to very deep parts of us.” A new departure for Francesca is to have written The Monstrous Child in the first person. She explains: “I was on the subway in New York when I suddenly got this voice in my head, which turned out to be the first sentence of the book.

I have never felt like I was channelling a voice before but I could instantly get Hel’s voice.” At school she was something of a Perfect Peter herself - “you never met a better behaved child,” although she claims she was “horrid” at home. These days, her only trouble-making involves mischievously writing Horrid Henry scenes that she knows will challenge her friend Miranda Richardson when she narrates them for the audiobook – for example getting her to sing snatches of high opera. But she says it doesn’t work – “Nothing fazes Miranda!” As Francesca Simon wisely says: “Everyone is a combination of Horrid Henry and Perfect Peter, aren’t they?” Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® Fine fare for beginning readers, this clever book should find a ready audience. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books The angle here is spot-on, and reluctant readers will especially find lots to love about this early chapter book series. Treat young readers to a book talk or read-aloud and watch Henry go flying off the shelf.

People "a loveable bad boy" Examiner.com "The writing is very clever, the humor will have you laughing your pants off, and I firmly believe these books are so popular because there's a little Horrid Henry in each of us... Ross's illustrations bring Horrid Henry's mischievous side to life with his devilish looks and slanted eyebrows." Newsday "Humor is a proven enticement for reluctant readers, and Francesca Simon's 'Horrid Henry' series locates the funny bone with ease" Scripps Howard News Service Children's Corner "Kids who love funny books will love the 'Horrid Henry' series by Francesca Simon... Simon's hilariously dead-pan text is wonderfully complemented by Tony Ross's illustrations, which comically capture the consequences of Henry's horridness." From the Publisher "Fine fare for beginning readers, this clever book should find a ready audience. " - Booklist "The angle here is spot-on, and reluctant readers will especially find lots to love about this early chapter book series.

Treat young readers to a book talk or read-aloud and watch Henry go flying off the shelf." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books ""a loveable bad boy" " - People ""The writing is very clever, the humor will have you laughing your pants off, and I firmly believe these books are so popular because there's a little Horrid Henry in each of us... Ross's illustrations bring Horrid Henry's mischievous side to life with his devilish looks and slanted eyebrows."" - Examiner.com ""Humor is a proven enticement for reluctant readers, and Francesca Simon's 'Horrid Henry' series locates the funny bone with ease"" - Newsday ""Kids who love funny books will love the 'Horrid Henry' series by Francesca Simon... Simon's hilariously dead-pan text is wonderfully complemented by Tony Ross's illustrations, which comically capture the consequences of Henry's horridness."" - Children's Corner, Scripps Howard News Service ""For kids beginning to read independently, "Horrid Henry" by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross arrived from England this year, importing sophisticated humor and a sly approach to storytelling.

Not since "Nate the Great" has an early reader series created such a buzz."" - Los Angeles Times ""Not since "Nate the Great" has an early reader series created such an addiction."" - Newsday ""Sometimes kids just need to laugh. In these four easy-to-read stories about mischievous Henry, kids may laugh so hard they'll snort milk out through their noses!"" - Central California Parent "Do your kids like silly books?...Francesca Simon's Horrid Henry series features horrid but loveable Henry and Moody Margaret. " - Montgomery Life "These are good chapter books and the girls might like to read them too." - Loogootee Tribune "Unbelievable. Laugh-out-loud hilarious. Francesca Simon is my sons' new favorite writer of all time. She's as cheeky as Roald Dahl and as hilarious as Dav Pilkey and the titular Horrid Henry may be the worst child you've read about in a long time.

But that doesn't mean his stories aren't utterly fabulous...A must-read." - Patch.com "Audiobooks: "[Horrid] Henry is the exemplar by which other boys can measure their own horridness...Miranda Richardson plays Henry just right, neatly balancing peevishness, effrontery and sheer life force."" - Kirkus Children's Literature - Mary Quattlebaum A publishing sensation in the United Kingdom, the Horrid Henry series has crossed the Atlantic to take up residence in American homes. Fast-paced and funny, these chapter books are perfect for beginning and reluctant readers. Horrid Henry introduces the naughty protagonist and other charactersPerfect Peter, Henry's younger brother, and Moody Margaret, his neighborwho recur to hilarious effect in the other nine titles. Reinforcing author Francesca Simon's mood of mischief and mayhem are the energetic black-and-white illustrations by Tony Ross. Simon and Ross get those rambunctious moments just right, including the boy's dance debut with Miss Impatience Tutu and a nothing-goes-right family vacation.

Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum Publishers Weekly Horrid Henry, star of the enormously popular British series, is finally crossing over to the U.S., and kids who appreciate a mischievous streak will welcome his arrival. In this first book, Henry discovers that being good-like his brown-nosing, vegetable-loving brother, Perfect Peter-can be its own brand of mischief; Henry also disrupts his dance class and fights with his neighbor Moody Margaret ("When he put a spider on her arm, Margaret laughed. When he pulled her hair, Margaret pulled his harder"). In the fourth story, the family goes on vacation, where (as is often the case) Henry's antics work in his favor: on the rainy camping trip, he uses the tent pegs for a campfire, causing the tent to collapse and flood, and forcing his family to comfier accommodations. Henry's over-the-top behavior, the characters' snappy dialogue and Ross's hyperbolic line art will engage even the most reluctant readers-there's little reason to suspect the series won't conquer these shores as well.

Pubs simultaneously with Horrid Henry's Stinkbomb, Horrid Henry and the Mega-Mean Time Machine and Horrid Henry Tricks the Tooth Fairy; two additional volumes are due in June. Ages 7-10. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Show More Meet the Author Francesca Simon was born in the United States and attended both Yale and Oxford universities. For ten years she worked as a freelance journalist. She now writes fulltime and has had many books published including the bestselling Horrid Henry series and several picture books. She lives in North London, England, with her husband, Martin, and her son, Josh. Tony Ross is a prolific illustrator of books for children, including Francesca Simon's Horrid Henry series, Martyn Beardsley's Sir Gadabout stories - as well, of course, as his own stories. Over the past few years, Tony has become one of the best known creators of original and traditional picture books and his work has been sold all over the world. Tony Ross was born on August 10, 1938, in London.

He trained at the Liverpool School of Art and has worked as a cartoonist, a graphic designer, as the Art Director of an advertising agency, filmmaker, and as Senior Lecturer in Art at Manchester Polytechnic. Author Francesca Simon reveals the real inspiration behind Horrid Henry | Jewish News For Publishers:Become a Times of Israel partner Author Francesca Simon reveals the real inspiration behind Horrid Henry Horrid Henry author Francesca Simon talks to Hannah Stephenson about the naughty schoolboy who was inspired by her own family life Perfect Peter would be applauding, Moody Margaret would be moaning and Weepy William would probably be crying buckets at the knowledge that their nemesis, Horrid Henry, is celebrating his 20th anniversary this month. For […] June 17, 2014, 6:00 pm Culture Horrid Henry author Francesca Simon talks to Hannah Stephenson about the naughty schoolboy who was inspired by her own family life Perfect Peter would be applauding, Moody Margaret would be moaning and Weepy William would probably be crying buckets at the knowledge that their nemesis, Horrid Henry, is celebrating his 20th anniversary this month.

For two decades the children’s favourite, created by Jewish author Francesca Simon, has been making mischief, wreaking havoc and causing mayhem – often at the expense of his poor parents and goody-two-shoes younger brother, Perfect Peter. I tell Simon my own children grew up with the Horrid Henry books and even now, as young teenagers, sometimes return to them. “I have people in their early 20s who still queue [for the books]. The readers are anything from four to 20-plus. The books are funny for kids and parents. It’s fun to allow that impish side out,” she says. “I think of ordinary situations and try to give them a ‘Horrid’ twist,” she continues. “I will think: ‘What would Henry do?’ Children really respond to anarchic characters.” The books have sold more than 20 million copies in the UK alone, are published in 34 languages across 36 countries and Simon is the third most borrowed author from UK libraries. The character has some connection with her own peripatetic childhood in cramped environments, she says. Francesca Simon Daughter of screenwriter, director and playwright Mayo Simon, the author was born in St Louis, but moved about a lot.

Before she was eight, she had lived in Missouri, New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris and a second time in LA. The family always rented homes and often had to move at short notice. “I’m the eldest of four children, and I longed to be an only child, so I’m very attuned to sibling rivalry. “I was incredibly well-behaved at school, like Perfect Peter, and then I became Horrid Henry at home. I screamed and shouted, slammed doors, projected things, wouldn’t play with my siblings and just wanted to be alone and do what I wanted. That went on until last week,” she quips. “Throughout my childhood, we had to live in rather cramped houses. I had to share a room with my sister, who I didn’t get on with. I liked staying up late, she liked going to bed at eight. She was very messy, I wasn’t. “The feeling of being pushed together made me think about Horrid Henry as a classic comedy set-up.

Parents don’t choose their children and children don’t choose their parents, but you’re all living together.” After attending Yale, where she studied medieval history and old English literature, Simon continued her education at Oxford University and then taught English as a foreign language in London, before falling into a career as a freelance journalist. She returns to the US often to see her parents and siblings, but has lived in England for longer. In 1986, she married Martin Stamp, a software programmer, and the idea for Horrid Henry came after their son Joshua was born. “I never had any ambitions to write for children until my son was born and then I started getting loads of ideas. “As a writer, you don’t necessarily choose what genre you’re best at writing. I can see the absurdity of things in the world.” Horrid Henry first appeared in 1994, in an era that soon experienced a boom in children’s books, largely thanks to the efforts of JK Rowling. “Children’s books used to be excluded from all the bestseller lists. With Jo Rowling, the Harry Potter books were the bestselling books, so the recognition accorded to children’s books really changed,” Simon observes.

“Publishers suddenly realised they were all being supported by their children’s books. So children’s writers started to be given greater respect.” She began by writing one book a year (and still does). Teachers discovered the books appealed equally to boys and girls – and particularly to children who wouldn’t usually read ­– and started reading the stories aloud in class. “I got a note once from a teacher who said she worked in a really poor school in Northern Ireland, and that not a single pupil in her class had a book at home. She made Horrid Henry books a reward for good behaviour, where children were allowed to take them home at the weekend if they had behaved well.” The pictures in the books complete the image of Horrid Henry and accompanying friends and relatives, all drawn by the famous children’s illustrator, Tony Ross. “Tony likes being told what to illustrate. I do write them with the idea of making funny pictures for him to draw.” Henry may have turned 20, but he’s never aged in the books and he’s not going to, Simon says.

“I never say how old he is but I think of him as being about eight and Peter as being about six, but I deliberately don’t say because the kids who read the books are as young as four or as old as 11.” When the first book was published there was concern about how much Henry could actually get away with. “We were aware we were dancing on the line. He gives the illusion of dreadfulness and great wickedness, but he actually doesn’t do anything that every single child in the world and their parents have not done,” Simon explains. “He seems to be much more horrible than he is and he is played for laughs. It’s very rare that Henry plots. He merely responds to situations. He thinks he wants something and he will do anything to get it, but he never sets out to cause trouble. He embodies total selfishness but there’s no story when Horrid Henry walks into the room and thinks how he could wreck it. That would not be funny.” To some parents in our politically-correct world, he may be seen as a dubious hero, not setting a great example to young readers. “He’s not an example,” Simon insists. “He’s in the same tradition as Just William or Alice In Wonderland or Peter Rabbit.

Children’s literature is filled with these anarchic, trickster characters. “He allows children to express the things they’re not allowed to express in their life and they are able to do it within the safety of a book. “When you read a book like this, you get all the thrill of being naughty and none of the consequences.” Her twenty-third book, Horrid Henry’s Krazy Ketchup, has been published to coincide with his birthday, along with a Horrid Henry 20th Anniversary Edition of the first ever book. But it’s not the end. “I’m doing at least one more Horrid Henry book and possibly more for the future. It would be nice to have 25 books and 100 stories.” • Horrid Henry’s Krazy Ketchup by Francesca Simon is published by Orion Children’s Books, and Horrid Henry 20th Anniversary Edition, are both priced £4.99 and available now "I Was like Perfect Peter at School ... and like Horrid Henry at Home ; Horrid Henry Has Captured Hearts and Imaginations the World over.

as Children's Favourite Anti-Hero Celebrates His 20th Anniversary, His Creator Francesca Simon Speaks to HANNAH STEPHENSON" - Manchester Evening News, June 7, 2014 | Online Research Library: Questia Read preview Article excerpt PERFECT Peter would be applauding, Moody Margaret would be moaning and Weepy William would probably be crying buckets at the knowledge that their nemesis, Horrid Henry, is celebrating his 20th anniversary this month. For two decades the children's favourite, created by Francesca Simon, has been making mischief, wreaking havoc and causing mayhem - often at the expense of his poor parents and goody-two-shoes younger brother Perfect Peter. "I have people in their early 20s who still queue (for the books)," says Francesca. "The readers are anything from four to 20- plus. The books are funny for kids and parents. It's fun to allow that impish side out." she says. "I think of ordinary situations and try to give them a 'Horrid' twist," she continues.

"I will think, 'What would Henry do?' I think children really respond to anarchic characters." The books have sold more than 20 million copies in the UK alone, are published in 34 languages across 36 countries and Francesca is the third most borrowed author from UK libraries. The character has some connection with her own peripatetic childhood in cramped environments, she agrees. Daughter of screenwriter, director and playwright Mayo Simon, the author was born in St Louis, but moved about a lot. Before she was eight, she had lived in Missouri, New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris and back to LA. The family always rented places and often had to move at short notice. "I'm the eldest of four children, and I longed to be an only child so I'm very attuned to sibling rivalry. I was incredibly well behaved at school, like Perfect Peter, and then I became Horrid Henry at home. "I screamed and shouted, slammed doors, projected things, wouldn't play with my siblings and just wanted to be alone and do what I wanted. "That went on until last week," she quips. "Throughout my childhood, we had to live in rather cramped houses.

I had to share a room with my sister who I didn't get on with. I liked staying up late, she liked going to bed at eight. She was very messy, I wasn't. "The feeling of being pushed together always made me think about Horrid Henry as a classic comedy set-up. Parents don't choose their children and children don't choose their parents, but for some reason you're all living together." Horrid Henry first appeared in 1994, in an era that soon saw a boom in children's books Francesca began by writing one book a year (and still does). School teachers discovered the books appealed equally to boys and girls - and particularly to children who wouldn't usually read - and started reading the stories aloud in class. Partly because they were so funny and also because each tale took about 12 minutes, yet there was a huge amount to discuss within the context.

… Subscribe to Questia and enjoy: Full access to this article and over 10 million more from academic journals, magazines, and newspapers Over 83,000 books Access to powerful writing and research tools Article details Newspapers Encyclopedia Amazon.com: Horrid Henry (0760789223556): Francesca Simon, Tony Ross: Books Francesca Simon Page 1 of 1 Start over Sponsored Products are advertisements for products sold by merchants on Amazon.com. When you click on a Sponsored Product ad, you will be taken to an Amazon detail page where you can learn more about the product and purchase it. To learn more about Amazon Sponsored Products, click here . Monsters A to Z A.J. Cosmo Have you ever wondered what makes your hair stand up when there's no one around? Discover the monsters behind everyday occurrences. The Monster That Ate My Socks (A Perfect Bedtime Story) A.J. Cosmo What's eating your socks? Monsters of course! This perfect bedtime story will entertain your child and help them overcome fears! A. J. Cosmo A story of love, understanding, and acceptance made especially for families with children on the autism spectrum.

Special Offers and Product Promotions Explore more great deals on thousands of titles in our Deals in Books store . Editorial Reviews Review "Fine fare for beginning readers, this clever book should find a ready audience. " - Booklist "The angle here is spot-on, and reluctant readers will especially find lots to love about this early chapter book series. Treat young readers to a book talk or read-aloud and watch Henry go flying off the shelf." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books ""a loveable bad boy" " - People ""The writing is very clever, the humor will have you laughing your pants off, and I firmly believe these books are so popular because there's a little Horrid Henry in each of us... Ross's illustrations bring Horrid Henry's mischievous side to life with his devilish looks and slanted eyebrows."" - Examiner.com ""Humor is a proven enticement for reluctant readers, and Francesca Simon's 'Horrid Henry' series locates the funny bone with ease"" - Newsday ""Kids who love funny books will love the 'Horrid Henry' series by Francesca Simon...

Simon's hilariously dead-pan text is wonderfully complemented by Tony Ross's illustrations, which comically capture the consequences of Henry's horridness."" - Children's Corner, Scripps Howard News Service ""For kids beginning to read independently, "Horrid Henry" by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross arrived from England this year, importing sophisticated humor and a sly approach to storytelling. Not since "Nate the Great" has an early reader series created such a buzz."" - Los Angeles Times ""Not since "Nate the Great" has an early reader series created such an addiction."" - Newsday ""Sometimes kids just need to laugh. In these four easy-to-read stories about mischievous Henry, kids may laugh so hard they'll snort milk out through their noses!"" - Central California Parent "Do your kids like silly books?...Francesca Simon's Horrid Henry series features horrid but loveable Henry and Moody Margaret. " - Montgomery Life "These are good chapter books and the girls might like to read them too." - Loogootee Tribune "Unbelievable. Laugh-out-loud hilarious. Francesca Simon is my sons' new favorite writer of all time.

She's as cheeky as Roald Dahl and as hilarious as Dav Pilkey and the titular Horrid Henry may be the worst child you've read about in a long time. But that doesn't mean his stories aren't utterly fabulous...A must-read." - Patch.com "Audiobooks: "[Horrid] Henry is the exemplar by which other boys can measure their own horridness...Miranda Richardson plays Henry just right, neatly balancing peevishness, effrontery and sheer life force."" - Kirkus Read more About the Author Francesca Simon was born in the United States and attended both Yale and Oxford universities. For ten years she worked as a freelance journalist. She now writes fulltime and has had many books published including the bestselling Horrid Henry series and several picture books. She lives in North London, England, with her husband, Martin, and her son, Josh. Tony Ross is a prolific illustrator of books for children, including Francesca Simon's Horrid Henry series, Martyn Beardsley's Sir Gadabout stories - as well, of course, as his own stories.

Over the past few years, Tony has become one of the best known creators of original and traditional picture books and his work has been sold all over the world. Tony Ross was born on August 10, 1938, in London. He trained at the Liverpool School of Art and has worked as a cartoonist, a graphic designer, as the Art Director of an advertising agency, filmmaker, and as Senior Lecturer in Art at Manchester Polytechnic. See all Editorial Reviews If you buy a new print edition of this book (or purchased one in the past), you can buy the Kindle edition for only $1.99 (Save 49%). Print edition purchase must be sold by Amazon. Learn more . For thousands of qualifying books, your past, present, and future print-edition purchases now lets you buy the Kindle edition for $2.99 or less. (Textbooks available for $9.99 or less.) Thousands of books are eligible, including current and former best sellers. Look for the Kindle MatchBook icon on print and Kindle book detail pages of qualifying books. You can also see more Kindle MatchBook titles here or look up all of your Kindle MatchBook titles here .

Horrid Henry Tricks the Tooth Fairy Horrid Henry Tricks the Tooth Fairy Horrid Henry Tricks the Tooth Fairy ISBN: 9781402222757 For Grade Levels 2 - 5; Ages 7 - 10. Lexile Reading Measure: 450 Available Formats Paperback We are not always able to make our books available worldwide. Please check below for the availability in your country. Available: CA, US Read the ePub on your Sony Reader, Nook, Kobo, iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad (through the free Bluefire Reader app); or Computer. Adobe Digital Editions is required for downloading and viewing the eBook. For more information see our articles on: Supported eBook Formats and How to Download an eBook . We are not always able to make our books available worldwide. Please check below for the availability in your country. Available: CA, US Read the PDF on your Sony Reader, Nook, Kobo, iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad (through the free Bluefire Reader app); or Computer. Adobe Digital Editions is required for downloading and viewing the eBook. For more information see our articles on: Supported eBook Formats and How to Download an eBook .

We are not always able to make our books available worldwide. Please check below for the availability in your country. Available: CA, US Back To Top When Perfect Peter's tooth falls out, Henry gets a great idea. He will steal the toth and put it under his own pillow so that the Tooth Fairy gives him the reward instead of Peter. Will the Tooth Fair... When Perfect Peter's tooth falls out, Henry gets a great idea. He will steal the toth and put it under his own pillow so that the Tooth Fairy gives him the reward instead of Peter. Will the Tooth Fairy fall for it? Plus three other stories so funny they are sure to make your teeth fall out. (Okay, not really…) DISCOVER THE SERIES BOYS AND GIRLS AROUND THE WORLD LOVE TO READ! Francesca Simon is one of the world's best-loved children's authors. She is the only American to have ever won the Galaxy Book Award, and her creation, Horrid Henry, is the #1 bestselling chapter book series in the UK—with a hit TV show and over fi fteen million copies sold!

Each book contains four easy-to-read stories and hilarious illustrations by the one and only Tony Ross, so even the most reluctant of readers won't be able to resist Henry's amazing talent for trouble! "Will make you laugh out loud." —Sunday Times Look inside to see what kids and adults have to say about the master of mischief! FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HORRID HENRY AT JABBERWOCKYKIDS.COM PRAISE FOR HORRID HENRY Why Horrid Henry? Kids love it! "I love the Horrid Henry books by Francesca Simon. They have lots of funny bits in. And Henry always gets into trouble!" Mia, age 6, BBC Learning is Fun "It's easy to see why Horrid Henry is the bestselling character for 5-8 year olds." Liverpool Echo Because it's funny "My two boys love this book and I have actually had tears running down my face and had to stop reading because of laughing so hard. My oldest son is rereading all the books in this series on his own now and he still loves them. Happy reading!" T.

Franklin, Parent "A modern comic classic." SF Said, Guardian Children's Books Supplement Kids get to be harmlessly rebellious "Henry is a beguiling hero who has entranced millions of reluctant readers... little rebels will love this collection and even little angels will be secretly thrilled by Henry's anti-heroic behaviour." Herald Henry's naughtiness is a yardstick against which children can get a sense of their own moral goodness and social justice "What is brilliant about the books is that Henry never does anything that is subversive. She creates an aura of supreme naughtiness (of which children are in awe) but points out that he operates within a safe and secure world." Emily Turner, Angels And Urchins Magazine Reaches the most important age group - children who are learning to read "I have tried out the Horrid Henry books with groups of children as a parent, as a babysitter, and as a teacher. Children love to either hear them read aloud or to read them themselves.

The books are spot on for the 5-8 age range and are fun for the adults who share them too." Danielle Hall, Teacher The structure provides new readers with a real sense of accomplishment "My son is 7 years old and a big Horrid Henry fan. This book lived up to his expectations! Horrid Henry is like most boys: he always has a plan and is always getting into mischief! It was amusing, and he could not put it down. Can't wait for the next. He read it cover to cover by himself in 2 days! That for me sells a book! He can't wait for the next one to be published. He has recommended it to all his friends." Mrs. Tami Gold, Parent Reaches both boys and girls equally "Wonderfully appealing to girls and boys alike, a precious rarity at this age." Judith Woods, Times Books A global publishing phenomenon with 12 million copies sold! WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT HORRID HENRY: "Parents reading them aloud may be consoled to discover that Henry can always be relied upon to behave worse than any of their own offspring." Independent "An absolutely fantastic series and surely a winner with all children.

My son took this book as his favourite during book week at his school and converted a few children to the cause. Long live Francesca Simon and her brilliant books! More, more please!" "My 5-year-old adores them so much he couldn't wait to start reading because of them." "I really like Horrid Henry and like reading it to my dad. It's funny!" Matthew, 9, St. Albans "Horrid Henry is a fabulous anti-hero: monstrously selfish and greedy, he does things most children only dream about... a modern comic classic." The Guardian "My 6-year-old son has now read the whole series unaided and is quite content to re-read the stories again and again. My 5-year-old is dying to be able to read well enough so she can read them independently too!" "Henry is really naughty and makes me laugh. He's very funny and he has lots of adventures." Martha, age 5, Bella "A flicker of recognition must pass through most teachers and parents when they read Horrid Henry. There's a tiny bit of him in all of us." Child Education "It didn't even make it to the library shelves and there's a long waiting list for it!

Enough said." Nancy Astee, Child Education "A definite must for every teacher - reading about Henry makes your naughtiest child seem like a saint!" "As a teacher of 8-year-olds, it's great to get a series of books my class love... They torment me to lend them the books so they can read them on their own. Need I say more?" About the Author Excerpt from Horrid Henry Tricks the Tooth Fairy ''It's not fair!'' shrieked Horrid Henry. He trampled on Dad's new flower bed, squashing the pansies. ''It&# ... Excerpt from Horrid Henry Tricks the Tooth Fairy ''It's not fair!'' shrieked Horrid Henry. He trampled on Dad's new flower bed, squashing the pansies. ''It's just not fair!'' Moody Margaret had lost two teeth. Sour Susan had lost three. Clever Clare lost two in one day. Rude Ralph had lost four, two top and two bottom, and could spit to the blackboard from his desk. Greedy Graham's teeth were pouring out. Even Weepy William had lost oneand that was ages ago.

Every day someone swaggered into school showing off a big black toothy gap and waving fifty cents or even a dollar that the Tooth Fairy had brought. Everyone, that is, but Henry. ''It's not fair!'' shouted Henry again. He yanked on his teeth. He pulled, he pushed, he tweaked, and he tugged. They would not budge. His teeth were superglued to his gums. ''Why me?'' moaned Henry, stomping on the petunias. ''Why am I the only one who hasn't lost a tooth?'' Horrid Henry sat in his fort and scowled. He was sick and tired of other kids flaunting their ugly wobbly teeth and disgusting holes in their gums. The next person who so much as mentioned the word ''tooth'' had better watch out. ''HENRY!'' shouted a squeaky little voice. ''Where are you?'' Horrid Henry hid behind the branches. ''I know you're in the fort, Henry,'' said Perfect Peter. ''Go away!'' said Henry. Interview: Francesca Simon | Books | The Guardian Share on Messenger Close 'You don't necessarily choose the kind of books you write well.

It can surprise you,' says Francesca Simon . 'I never, ever imagined I would end up as a children's author.' In an age when almost every novelist is jealously eyeing the kind of sales and advances passing to children's writers in a post-Potter market and thinking wizards might be the answer, Simon is an almost accidental success story, and a triumph of what she calls 'old-fashioned publishing'. Among her 40-plus titles for children, it's the Horrid Henry series that has made her name, a series now 12 years old, which includes 15 titles selling more than five million copies around the world; she has just sold the television rights for a reported £1 million. While it's an unusual path for someone with Yale and Oxford degrees in medieval English literature and a previous career as a journalist, you can't help feeling on meeting Simon that she was made to be a children's author, and to understand how much her events delight her young readers at literary festivals and school appearances. In conversation, she is lively, expansive, articulate and possessed of a quick wit and impish humour already apparent from the books.

Although she has lived in Britain for 20 years, she was raised mostly in Los Angeles, where her father worked as a screenwriter, and retains her American accent and a Californian sunniness. While she is dauntingly well read, it is easy to imagine that she would never make the mistake of talking down to children. Simon fell into writing children's books by accident when her only son, Josh, now 16, was a year and a half. Though her first attempt, But What Does the Hippopotamus Say?, took a year to be accepted, she quickly found she had a flair for children's writing. The Horrid Henry books became a slow-burning success at a time when children's writing was still very much the poor cousin in publishing. 'We were the Cinderellas; we had a joke that the adult novelists would get invited to dinners and the children's writers would be told to bring a packed lunch,' she says. 'I find it so hilarious that people now think it's a way to make a fast buck.

I think what changed is that Joanne Rowling was finally accepted into the mainstream bestseller lists, because they didn't include children's books, and I think publishers hadn't realised the extent to which those sales were supporting their enterprises.' Her success predates this phenomenon; the first Horrid Henry book was published in 1993. 'I'd been asked to write a first reader but I didn't know what that was, so I just wrote this story that I'd had an idea for, about a truculent little boy, the despair of his well-meaning liberal parents. It was far too difficult for a first reader, but I had a brilliant editor who said she wanted to make it work, so she asked me to write three more stories and that became the first book.' It was the fourth title in the series, Horrid Henry's Nits, that really captured children's imaginations and turned Simon into a bestseller. Ten years on, she has just published Horrid Henry's Wicked Ways (Orion £9.99, pp191), a collection of stories made vivid, like all its predecessors, by Tony Ross's illustrations; a new title, Horrid Henry and the Football Fiend, is due in the spring.

Remarkably for a series, each title has sold better than the one before, and Simon regularly receives around 100 letters a week from her young fans, all of which she attempts to answer personally. Horrid Henry has struck a chord with successive generations of young readers, combining elements of Dennis the Menace, Just William and a dash of Damien in his relentless, one-sided war of attrition with his younger brother, the hapless Perfect Peter. 'I think it's that the books are kind of fierce,' she explains, when asked about Henry's enduring appeal. 'Nobody feels emotions like children and with Henry, the war is constant and total, so there's a lot of permission given for these passionate feelings. And I think the books are funny, which kids like. The letters I get are from kids of all different backgrounds because I think anyone who has lived in a family has these shared experiences - the car journey from hell, nits or vomiting.' Is she tiring of Henry yet, I wonder, and has she ever wondered about taking the opposite route to all the recent opportunists, and trying an adult novel? 'It still entertains me hugely and the minute I felt tired or that it was becoming formulaic I would stop.

But at the moment, I still seem to have a lot of ideas. I've never thought I'd write an adult novel. Although I read a lot, that doesn't mean I could write them well. I think I'd be scared to try. But I would like to try something for teenagers; I am working on something at the moment.' Surprisingly (or perhaps not), the Henry books have never found a US publisher, despite being published in 20 countries. 'The reason I'm always given is that they're too British which, considering I'm American, is very funny,' Simon says, grinning. 'I think they're just considered too subversive. But it's a very conservative climate there now and children's books are invested with great power; there's this idea the child might copy something. I always say to kids, "Henry is horrid so you don't have to be." It's the same reason adults love murder mysteries, not because they're going to go out and kill someone but because fiction allows you to explore these emotions in a safe way. But maybe they're afraid American kids might discover sibling rivalry.'

Question: In the children's books by Francesca Simon, 'Perfect Peter' is the younger brother of which character?
Answer: Horrid Henry